I am looking at deer rifles for my girlfriend she is of a smaller frame so only youth models would fit her. All I see in youth models for rifles are 243 caliber. I know that they come with 100 grain bullets usually is this a good caliber for deer it seems small to me but i like bigger calibers. would it work and to what effective range.

JOE

Yes it works...Out to 300 yards...Good Luck...

how woulda 20 inch barrel work for accuracy and speed.

I'd say a .243 would be perfect IMO.

20 inches is just fine...One of my buddies is kinda short, he bought the .243 youth model 700 with a 20 inch barrel, I sighted it in for him...It put the Hornady Custom 100grs into a nickle at 100 yards...If you want more speed you can go with the Federal Premium 85gr BTHP, it gets about 3320 out of a 24 inch barrel...

New hunters shouldn't be shooting much past 150 yards or so anyway, any of the 100gr loads will be plenty fast out to that range...

All but one of my deer has fallen to the 243.. Using the 85 Grain BTHP.. Shots ranging from 100 to 246 yards.. You got plenty of gun.. The gun I have been using for the past 20 years has a 20" barrell on it also..

I got my grandsons just a cheap breech load New England Firearms .243 and put a Bushnell Elite 4200 on it and it is a deer killing rifle. We use the Hornady 100 grains also. I wouldn't hesitate to hunt with it myself. Be sure to get her a quality scope and not an el-cheap o.

.243 works, if you want more, but still less, 7mm-08 is agreat round. or .260 I'm considering a .243 or 6mm for antelope round which would be plenty good out to 500 600yds I feel, and maybe muleys, not sure though.

My Daughter shot a nice Doe with her single shot .243 Rossi Youth Gun,she used the Remington 100 grain shells and her gun has the Tru-Glo Red Dot scope.I though you could get a longer barreled .243 with the shorter stock?If you Girlfriend can handle a Rifle pretty good I would consider looking for a .243 with a longer barrel......look into the Remington Rifles....if I'm correct the make a very nice Rifle in Camo with the shorter stock for smaller/younger Hunters!

I think the heaviest bullet you can get for a .243 is the 100 grain bullet?I shoot 100 grain Hornady bullets in my Browning .243 Rifle and I have shot several deer with it including 2 nice 8-Point Bucks so far.

.243 is fine, i've taken deer with no problem with a .223. shot placement kills, not magnums.